“We didn’t look ourselves out there”

Dave Mc offers his insight to Saddlers defeat and first goal since rejoining

By Matt Johnson

Dave McAllister sighted the lacklustre opening to the second period as the main catalyst to the comprehensive 3-1 defeat to Walsall at the Banks’s Stadium.

Town conceded within a minute after the restart and then another eight minutes later to virtually end the tie as a contest after the Saddlers had already led by a single goal to nil at the break.

“To come here in a derby game and lose 3-1, especially when they got two goals straight after half-time, was very disappointing,” said McAllister.

“We had a word at half-time to come out and really go for it to get back into the game, but it just killed us. It was a period of poor all-round play from us.

“I don’t know what happened, we just didn’t look like ourselves out there. Maybe Tuesday’s game with ten men didn’t help, but that would just be making excuses for people. We just weren’t good enough on the day.”

The Irishman headed home his first goal since rejoining Town with just under 15 minutes to go, but admitted that the fight back came too little too late to change the result.

“When you’re 3-0 down with 15 minutes to play its always going to be hard. We were just hoping that we were going to get that second and maybe something follows after that. We were putting a bit of pressure on them, but unfortunately it didn’t happen on the day.

“Its bitter-sweet. I’ve been waiting a while to get off the mark, I just couldn’t get that first goal so hopefully now the flood gates will open and I can start getting a couple more.”

Back-to-back victories over Tranmere and Stevenage have been eclipsed by back-to-back defeats to leave Town once again looking nervously over their shoulders with the gap to the relegation zone narrowed to four points.

“We need to get straight back on it. Get it out of the system, get it out of our heads and look ahead to next week at home to Leyton Orient and really give it a good go because we really need points on the board now.

“The worry is always there and always in your mind. If you lose again, teams around you could win and we don’t want to leave ourselves with a mountain to climb. We just need to get some more wins on the board now starting with Saturday and we’ll really give it a go after that.”